Snakes and Ladders Author:Gita Mehta India is a land of contrasts. It is the world's most populous democracy, but still upholds the caste system. It is a burgeoning economic superpower but one of the poorest nations on earth. It is the home of the world's biggest movie industry after Hollywood as well as to still-practiced religions that are millennia old. As India celebrates fifty... more » years of independence in 1997, the world will want to know, more than ever before, just what India is all about.
As she has proved in three previous books--her wry take on the marketing of the mystic east in Karma Cola; the rich historical saga of Raj; and the beguiling tales of A River Sutra--there is no better guide to India's multi-hued mosaic than Gita Mehta. She knows India in all its rich detail--its folkways and history, its culture and politics, its ancient traditions and current concerns. In Snakes and Ladders, she gives a loving but unflinching assessment of India today, entertaining, informative, and wholly personal.
Combining a topic that will be in the news all year with a high-profile writer known for her sharp tongue and brilliant observations, Snakes and Ladders is sure to be one of the most talked-about and reviewed books of 1997.« less
Subtitle: Glimpses of Modern India. Gita Mehta is the author of several books of commentary of Indian society and culture, and provides a fascinating insider/outsider look at one of the most important nations in today's globalized economy.